Dave Roberts didn’t mince words when asked about Tanner Scott’s 2026 turnaround. The Dodgers manager basically tipped his cap and said yeah, this is a completely different guy than the one who walked off the mound last season muttering that baseball hates him.
Scott hit rock bottom in 2025. He led the team in blown saves. He openly admitted the game was beating him down. But now? He’s sitting on a 2.02 ERA through 38 appearances with 12 saves and only one blown opportunity. Edwin Diaz is still recovering from surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow, and Scott has stepped back into the closer role like he never left.
Before Tuesday’s series opener against the Rockies, Roberts talked about what changed.
“I think this year he’s not consistently throwing the baseball in the same location,” Roberts said. “Last year it just seemed like everything to the right-hander was down and in in the same nitro zone, and that’s where guys were locking in on. Now he’s pitching to different parts of the plate, his slider has gotten better, the velocity is held. He’s healthier. It’s a tale of two seasons.”
Is He All the Way Back? Not Quite
Let’s be real. Scott’s 1.1 WAR is still a step down from his peak years with the Marlins. He’s already matched his hit total from 2023 — 22 hits allowed — and we’re barely past the All-Star break. That’s not nothing. But context matters.
The Dodgers bullpen has been a revolving door all season. Guys coming and going. Injuries piling up. The fact that Scott has held things together while Diaz rehabs is a big reason Los Angeles has the NL West locked up before the break. The team hasn’t said exactly when Diaz will return, but they don’t seem to be rushing him either.
Scott’s command has been the biggest difference. He’s not walking guys. He’s working the edges. And when he needs to rear back and throw it past someone, he’s still got the arm to do it.
It’s not a perfect comeback story. But after last year’s disaster, no one in the Dodgers clubhouse is complaining.
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